Remember The Time
by padfootsotter
Summary: An an unusual friendship develops. Some friendships turn into romantic relationships, most of the time those end in tragedy. Can these two dirty mistresses finally find happy ever after, maybe with each other?
1. Chapter 1

**Remember The Time**

Set during 'Yesterday', will not follow the canon 'Grey's Anatomy'. With this fanfic they will follow from that episode and will go 'Alternate Universe' from then -character relationship wise, not medical wise. 

* * *

Meredith stood at the nurses station, typing in the patient's report, "Invasive non-cell. With a history of COPD. That guy's pretty much a goner, huh?" Meredith looked at the stranger, the very hot stranger who's wearing a leather jacket who makes him even hotter.

Meredith cocked an eyebrow, "Sensitivity. I like that in a stranger. Are you new here?"

The stranger smiled and leaned back, "Confounded by all the rain and it's only my first day in town."

"You get used to it." Meredith finished her report and began to walk away from the computer, the stranger followed her every move."

"Makes me wanna stay in bed all day."

Meredith let out a chuckle, "We just met and already you're talking about bed. Not very subtle." She gave him a disapproving stare, however she couldn't help but be humoured by him.

"I'm not one for subtlety." He replied. That was the last thing he said before a fist knocked him to the ground.

"Oh my god!" Meredith looked at the perpetrator and found that it was Derek. 'What? Why would he be punching him?' "What the hell was that?!"

Derek looked at Meredith, a slight rage in his eyes, he cradled his hand before replying to Meredith. "That was Mark." He all but spat.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Dr. Webber demanded as he stormed in and took in the scene in front of him. "Dr. Grey, please escort Dr. Sloan to a free room and stitch his injuries," Meredith held out her hand and Mark took it. "And you," he swivelled his body and looked at Derek, "conference room now!"

Meredith started patching up Mark when he decided to comment that he and Derek always had the same taste in women, Meredith couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Excuse me?"

He gave her a small smirk, "You're Derek's lusty intern, right? Heard about you all the way back in New York, you're famous."

Meredith hummed, how the hell did people in New York find out about her? Addison, probably. "You're the same you know," Mark cocked an eyebrow, "I heard about you all the way here in Seattle, so I guess we have a lot in common."

Mark made an agreeing sound, his eyes lit up like he thought of something magnificent, "We're the dirty mistresses."

Meredith laughed and agreed. "it's quite catchy don't you think? We could start a band and play in dingy bars."

"And our songs are about pain and heartbreak and fuck you's to the people that hurt us." Mark said. Meredith smiled, loving how she felt at ease with Mark.

"You know it's funny," Mark started to turn his head so he could see her, but Meredith grasped his chin so she could clean the wound on his cheek. "Derek walks in on me naked with his wife actually in the throes. And he just turns around and walks away, but he sees me so much as talking to you and I'm on the ground bleeding. Interesting, don't you think?"

Meredith shrugged. "It's odd. He didn't have a right to do that -if it did have something to do with me. It's over, so he shouldn't be jealous if I'm talking to another man, even if it is you."

"It's over?"

Meredith put down her sutures and looked over his shoulder, "Ever since Addison came back. I mean at first he hated having her here and wanted to divorce her. Then one day he changes his mind and chooses her over me. I mean, she's his wife, he should choose her,- "

"But he shouldn't have led you on? Right?" Mark finished her sentence.

Meredith nodded but didn't reply. "Same thing happened to me and Addi. After Derek walked out, she stayed with me, for a month. During that time I thought she wanted to stay with me, then one day I find her things gone and next thing I know she's here in Seattle, back with your boyfriend."

"Sucks to be us." Meredith quipped, picking up her sutures. Mark nodded in agreement "Now, let's get you fixed up." She placed a towel on his shoulder and moved to start suturing his face.

Before she knew it, Mark held her wrist in his hand, "What do you think you're doing?"

"You need stitches."

"I know." He grabbed the mirror in front of him and instructed Meredith to hold it.

"Such a badass."

Mark gave her a wink and a smirk, "I know baby. I try to be." After he finished suturing his own face he turned to Meredith, "I need an x-ray to check for fractures, want to take me?"

Meredith shrugged, "Sure, I don't really have anything else to do."

"And here I thought you wanted to actually spend time with me."

Meredith didn't reply, although she did give him a smile. Together they walked out of the room and Meredith saw her friends at the nurses station, probably talking about Mark. "Can you hold on a sec?" She said to Mark as she saw Cristina giving her a questioning look.

"Mc Sexy wants an x-ray to check for fractures and I'm taking him there."

The boys looked at Mark and then back at the girls. "McSexy?" Cristina asked.

"No." Meredith replied.

"McYummy?" Izzie suggested.

Both Cristina and Meredith replied with a 'no.'

Meredith looked at Mark appreciatively, suddenly like a light bulb, "McSteamy."

"Oh there it is." Cristina said, pursing her lips in admiration of the nickname. Izzie agreed.

"Grey! Are you ready yet? I could bleed out at any minute!" Meredith rolled her eyes. She said her goodbyes and headed towards Mark. "What were you talking about?' Mark asked.

"Nothing," Meredith replied quickly.

"That just tells me that you were talking about me," he replied smugly.

"Are you a psychiatrist now?" Meredith asked, amused.

"No, but did you know that my 400 dollar an hour shrink says that I'm self destructive and self loathing to an almost pathological degree."

Meredith looked at him and she just knew that he was telling the truth. She gave him a slight slap to the arm. "Hey, we do have a lot in common." 

* * *

Back at the nurses station, Cristina, Izzie, Alex and George were still there talking. "50 says that Sloan will get with her," Alex betted putting a 50 down on the table.

"I'm with him," Cristina agreed putting another 50.

George shook his head in disapproval, "30 says she won't. She knows better than that." George looked at the corridor that Mark and Meredith went down, "Just no."

Izzie looked like she was in thought, "I'm going to have to go with Alex and Cristina." Izzie was interrupted with a yell from George. "What? They have undeniable chemistry." 

* * *

Meredith looked at her watch, "I have to go and get lunch." She said regretfully to Mark.

"I'm a bit hungry myself, can I have lunch with you?"

"As in a date?" Meredith asked, amused.

"No, as in as friends who get lunch together."

"Right," Meredith smiled as she walked away, leading him to the cafeteria.

"So what do you think you're going to specialise in?" Mark asked her as he began eating his sandwich.

Meredith shrugged, "I have no idea. I haven't thought about it too much." She began playing with her food, "I mean, maybe general surgery like my mother, but they'll always be comparing me to her."

"Is that what you're afraid of?" Meredith said nothing in reply. "Don't be. You're two different people, who have different extraordinary talents. If they ever compared you to your mother, they'll only say how much better you are."

"Thanks." Meredith smiled in appreciation and Mark smile back. 

Meredith walked alongside Cristina and Mark. She listened to the details Cristina was telling Mark. A boy with Craniodiaphyseal dysplasia was at the hospital and Mark jumped at the chance to tell the boy he could have a better life.

Meredith watched as Mark tell Jake about how he can fix his face and smiled as Mark made Jake's year, maybe even his life. Mark was in the middle of his explanation when Derek walked into the room. "Dr. Sloan, can I help you with something?"

Jake looked at Derek, "He says he can fix my face. He says he can make me look normal!" Jake missed the angry glare Derek gave to Mark, however Cristina and Meredith did not. 

The next thing they knew, her, Cristina and Alex managed to find them were watching through the walkway where they had a clear view of the Chief's office. They watched as Derek's face grew redder and redder, hands gesturing wildly. Mark, however did not take any crap from Derek as he retaliated everything he said.

"Did he call him a crack-whore?" Cristina interrupted the silence. 

* * *

Meredith was walking down the hallway when she saw Derek and Mark come out of the room. Little did she know that Addison was behind her. Meredith turned around and tried to find out what the men were looking at, she saw Addison and sh realised why their faces were like that. Addison began to walk away, so did Derek, however they walked away in opposite ways.

Instead of chasing Addison Mark walked over to where Meredith stopped. "Aren't you going to chase after her?" Mark cocked his head, "Addison."

Mark shook his head. "No, I'd rather be talking to you, my dirty mistress."

"I have to go to Jake and start drawing out what he wants his face to look like."

"The Chief gave you a consent form?" Mark nodded. Meredith fully smiled, "Congrats!"

Mark found Meredith sitting inside an office behind the nurse's station. He looked at her as she began putting things inside envelopes. It was funny, he came to Seattle for one woman and here he was staring at a completely different woman.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm fulfilling a patient's dying wish to send hate mail to everyone he's ever met." Mark furrowed his brows. "I know. I feel the same way. Are you okay?"

"It's just I want to make him have a better life, I know there are risks with his surgery. But what is life without having the one thing you want in it?"

"Not a life worth living." Meredith answered.

"Right."

"Then help him, who's better to do it that the country's best plastic surgeon?"

Mark smirked, "Done your homework then?"

"Maybe." 

* * *

Meredith sat in her usual seat at Joe's and began to think. However, her thoughts were interrupted when Mark asked if the seat next to her was taken. "Go right ahead."

"Are you okay? You looked sad?"

"My father. I saw him for the first time in 20 years."

"How did that go?"

Meredith took a shot of tequila, "Could have gone better. What are you still doing here? Shouldn't you be on the plane to New York?"

"I'm hoping Addison shows up." Meredith didn't know why but when he said that her heart felt heavier.

"You're still in love with her?"

"You're still in love with him?"

"I was, two weeks ago I was. But thinking of everything he's done to me, lie to me, led me on. I think I'm falling out of love him." Meredith took another shot. "She won't show you know."

"No? What if you're wrong? What if just this once… life comes down on the side of dirty mistresses?" Mark asked hopeful.

Meredith couldn't help but let her snide-side out. "We hope, you know, against all logic, against all experience, we look for that comfort. We want safety. We look everywhere for that."

"That's deep Mer," Mark spoke.

"I know." 

* * *

Meredith looked at the window, the rain falling down on the Seattle landscape. Hands came around her waist. His stubble tickling her cheek, "You know, I think I can get used to the Seattle weather."

Meredith turned around and placed her hands around his shoulders, "Just as friends right?"

"Right." Mark responded. He leaned forward and let his lips touch hers and he couldn't help but smile inwardly. 

* * *

**A/N:** Hello everybody, so this is my first attempt at a 'Grey's Anatomy' full fanfic. I hope you guys like this and reviews are highly appreciated!


	2. What Have I Done To Deserve This?

Mark walked out of Meredith's room, trying to be quiet as he walked over to the bathroom. He quickly checked over his shoulder to see if Meredith was still asleep. He opened the bathroom door, hopefully that no one was inside.

After his trip to the bathroom, he opened the door to and what he saw made him smile inside. He closed the door quietly and turned back to see Meredith sprawled out across the bed, bedsheets across her torso. Her front was bare, one of her breast out to the world, however what really caught his attention was her snoring. She was loud at snoring…very loud. He crawled to the bed and tried to get back on his side and watched her as her chest went up and down.

It was weird, he never really did this. He never stayed long enough to actually memorise anything about the girl. But with Meredith, Meredith was definitely something else. All throughout his thoughts Meredith still snored.

Mark was brought out of his snoring when Meredith woke herself up, probably due to her loud snoring. He smiled at her as she looked around her room like a child. "Your boob is out."

Meredith looked up to her right and smiled when she saw Mark's stupid smirk. "Thanks for noticing." Meredith began to move the blanket so her breast was covered.

Mark stopped Meredith's hand, "Don't I like it,"

"Of course you do, you're a pervert."

Mark moved so he was level with Meredith's chest."Oh really?" He placed a kiss on her collarbone, he heard her laugh and loved how he felt Meredith's chuckle vibrate throughout her body, "If I was really a perv, you wouldn't let me do this." Mark moved his mouth down Meredith's chest, until he came in contact with her breast. He opened his mouth and moved to place Meredith's nipple in his mouth, he was welcomed by a moan and a hand travelling down his spine. Mark moved the ripped the blanket off the bed and moved towards Meredith's other breast. "If you did let a perv do this, then there is something wrong with you," he gently bit her nipple until she moaned again. After paying attention to her other breast Mark began to move downwards.

"Mark…"

* * *

Meredith woke up with a sudden start and moved her head from her pillow, she groaned slightly realising that she had a headache from last night. She looked over to her companion's side and saw that it was vacant. She felt her stomach drop a bit and mentally scolded herself. She shouldn't be disappointed.

After realising that she would be late for work if she didn't dress herself, she got up and put on the cleanest clothes that she could see. Opening her door and walking out she came face to face with Alex trying to put his trousers on and Izzie sipping her coffee.

Izzie must have seen the questioning look on Meredith's face as she spoke to her, "What? So I slept with him again. So I'm a big whore. Big horny whore who can't get enough. Can we get over the shocked silence already?" Izzie turned and moved Alex. 

The three moved downstairs and realise that someone was cooking breakfast, "is George cooking? George never cooks." Meredith said as she walked to the kitchen.

When she opened the door she realised that it wasn't George as he was sitting on the table, however it was her missing companion. He saw her standing at the door and moved at her with a pair of spatula.

She gave him a smile and walked over to him after saying hello to George. "What are you doing?"

"Cooking breakfast, I thought it was obvious." He flipped over the pancake and watched it sizzle.

"I mean, I thought-,"

Mark turned and gave her a cheeky smirk, "What?"

"It's just. I thought you left."

Mark moved his arm so it was on Meredith's lower back, a gesture unnoticed by the other people in the room. "As you can see I didn't."

Meredith found herself moving closer to Mark, "You cook?"

"Also, I clean."

Meredith barked out a laugh, "What a man." 

Izzie sat at the table with Alex and George, "So what do you think happened between those two?"

"McSteamy obviously got McSome."

Izzie laughed, "Did you just refer to Mark Sloan as McSteamy?"

Alex blushed and George joined in with the laughter. "You so did man!"

"At least she's happy," Izzie gestured with her mug.

They all saw how happy and giggly Meredith was, Meredith was always the opposite. Even George had to agree that Meredith looked a million times happier with Sloan than with Derek. "Yeah, she is."

* * *

"Hey," Mark greeted Meredith as he walked up next to her.

"Hey,"

"Did you hear?"

"Hear what?" Cristina asked as she came up to them, followed by Izzie and George.

The eagerness on Mark's face slowly disappeared as he leaned back, "Nothing. It's just that I'm going to stay here for a few more weeks to he;p out with the consults and such."

Cristina, Izzie and George walked away, leaving Meredith and Mark standing in the middle of the floor. "You're staying for a few more weeks then?" She smiled as he placed his hand on her arm.

"I am. The chief asked me to stay for some consults and you know, just be there just in case." Mark shrugged and held her hand.

"Mark, what are you doing?"

"Just come with me for a second, please?" He gave her his best puppy smile and she just laughed in return.

"Where are we going?" She asked as she allowed him to pull her along. "The on-call room, really?" She gave him a mocking glare. "So classy."

"Will you just shush?" He pulled her in. "The reason I pulled you in here is because of this," he smiled and began to lean in. Meredith wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed herself to be embraced by him. He broke their kiss and placed his forehead against hers. "I can't believe I went three hours without kissing you."

"Are you turning into a sap?" He arched a brow at her and pulled her to the bed. "Come with me my dirty mistress."

Meredith laughed as she fell on top of Mark on the bed. "I don't have much time,"

The next thing they both knew the door to the room was open and there stood Burke. Mark and Meredith's head popped up and saw Burke standing there with an open mouth, staring shocked at them. He shook his head and laughed disbelievingly. "Uh….I'm sorry." Burke left, quietly closing the door.

Mark and Meredith both looked at each other and laughed, Mark's head falling on Meredith's shoulder. "Could that be more awkward?"

"Derek could walk in," Mark suggested.

Meredith shrugged and agreed with Mark.

* * *

Burke walked up to Cristina and placed his surgical cap in front of her, "Did you know that Meredith and Sloan are dating?"

Cristina looked at him from her clipboard, "Meredith doesn't do relationships."

"I just saw them,"

Cristina sighed and placed her clipboard down, she turned and faced him, "What you saw was the beginning of a beautiful relationship called 'friends with benefits," she gave him a sarcastic smile and Burke frowned at her.

"We'll see," Burke said as he began walking away.

"See what?" Cristina called out, "See what?!"

Burke didn't reply anything, however he did give her a smile over the shoulder.

* * *

"Meredith! Hey," Derek called as the elevator began to close.

Meredith pushed the button, holding it and watching Derek slip by. "How are you?" Mark asked as he pushed the button for the lobby.

Meredith turned and looked at Derek, she couldn't help but compare the Mark and him. She gave him a look, "I'm hanging in there."

"That's good, that's very good." Derek nodded and smiled at her. "I've been thinking and would it be weird if we just became friends,"

"Friends?"

"We could ah…hangout. Yes, hangout, and I could walk Doc every other morning, and we could meet. Have coffee. Watch Doc play and…obviously discuss the complex nature of our existence." Derek gave her his infamous McDreamy smile.

"Right."

"We could. Might be fun. I could be your friend Meredith."

Before she could answer the elevator door dinged and opened, she walked and then turned to him, "I have enough friends at the moment."

* * *

The doors closed again and Derek looked at the ground gloomily.

"So how was everybody's day?" Izzie asked as she walked in into the locker room.

"My guy's fiancee left him because she thought he was going to die," George replied pulling on his shoelaces harder than it should be, "he didn't die by the way, but I think he feels like it would have been better if he did." George slammed his locker and everybody jumped, startled,

"If it makes you feel better Burke caught Meredith and McSteamy getting it on in the on-call room," Cristina said as she pulled down her shirt. She was greeted by a yell and a glare from Meredith.

George and Izzie looked at Meredith, "What? We thought the door was locked, it's not my fault." Meredith spoke as she grabbed her things from her locker, "it really wasn't."

Their conversation was interrupted with a knock on the door, "Are you ready to go?" Meredith didn't have to turn around to know it was Mark.

"Give me a second." Meredith responded as she finished putting her clothes in her bag. "Okay, I'm ready."

"Where are you guys going?" Izzie questioned.

"Back home," Meredith answered, "see you guys later."

Meredith and Mark passed by Burke and he watched with a keen interest in his eyes. He knocked on the locker room door and gestured for Cristina to come. "Hey,"

"Hi," Cristina handed him a chocolate bar, "you want this?"

"Sure," Burke entwined his hand with hers, "I just passed by Meredith and Mark, I don't think that they're friendship with benefits."

Cristina looked at him with a smile on her face, "Aw, look at you thinking that you know Mer better than me, that's so cute."

* * *

"-tell them to go away!" Mark yelled as Meredith laughed and walked over to the front door.

"Derek," Meredith said as she opened the door.

"Hey Mer,"

"What are you doing here?"

"It's just-,"

"You weren't satisfied with the answer I gave you back at the elevator right?" Meredith finished his sentence. "I don't need you in my life Derek, not as a friend nor as a partner. Do you want to know why? I thought you were the one that was going to fix me, you gave me life and you made me fall in love, make me have fantasies about the future. You don't expect it to be gone in the blink of an eye. I thought I found the person, the one person I was going to spend the rest of my life with. I was done with all the boys and the bars and the one night stands, as well as the all obvious daddy issues, all those were irrelevant when I met you because I was done with all of those things. But you left me and broke me," Meredith replied coldly.

"You broke me when you didn't sign those divorce papers and you broke everything in me when you chose Addison over me. I get it, you want to live your life and you want to start over with your wife, but you don't get me and her, that's asking for too much.

"My friends are the things that are keeping me sane right now, they're the ones that are gluing me back, you don't get to ask to be my friend when friends are supposed to glue each other back when they're broken. They are not the reasons why you can't fall asleep because you're crying too much, or can't stand in a room for too long because you may cry. That is not what friends do. If I let you back in my Derek, sooner or later you're going to hurt me and I'm tired. I'm so, so, tired." Meredith replied as she felt her voice break towards the end of the sentence. "Goodbye Derek," she didn't give him time to answer as she closed the door on him and began walking back to the kitchen.

She saw Mark standing by the door and he gave her a questioning smile. "Are you okay?" He threw an arm over her shoulders and began walking with her back to the table.

"Did you hear?"

Mark nodded. "Sorry, it was hard not to listen."

Meredith smiled and shook her head, "It's fine. I guess having someone else hear it means that I actually said it out loud and not just in my head." Mark laughed and Meredith couldn't help but smile.

Mark kissed the top of her head, "Do you want some food, with wine?" Mark asked.

Meredith nodded. Mark got up and began putting food on their plates. Meredith smiled as she watched Mark. She didn't need Derek now, she didn't need Derek anymore. Even if Mark was just there for having sex, his emotional support was a thousand times better than Derek.


End file.
